What do I need to prove if another driver ran a red light and hit me in Shreveport?

You need to show the other driver was required to stop at the signal, failed to do so, and that failure caused your injuries. Traffic camera footage, dashcam video, eyewitness accounts, and the police report are the most direct evidence. Skid marks and vehicle damage patterns can also help an accident reconstruction expert place each vehicle's position at the moment of impact.

The other driver claims I ran the light. How does Louisiana handle a disputed traffic-signal case?

Under La. C.C. Art. 2323, Louisiana follows modified comparative fault. A jury reviews the evidence and assigns a fault percentage to each party; if your share is less than 51 percent your compensation is reduced accordingly, but at 51 percent or more you cannot recover. Securing traffic camera footage quickly is critical, because cities often overwrite recordings within days.

Can I sue Shreveport or the traffic signal contractor if a malfunctioning signal caused my accident?

If the signal was malfunctioning because of a maintenance failure, the government entity responsible for that signal is a potential defendant. Private contractors who maintain or installed the signal can also be named under La. C.C. Art. 2324 if their work contributed to the failure. You will need maintenance logs and work orders to establish that the malfunction was known or foreseeable.

What is the deadline to file a lawsuit after a red-light or stop-sign accident in Louisiana?

For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, you have two years from the date of the accident under La. C.C. Art. 3493.1. For injuries before that date, the prior one-year prescriptive period under La. C.C. Art. 3492 applies. If your claim involves a government defendant, a separate notice-of-claim requirement may apply with a shorter deadline.

Does a traffic citation or guilty plea by the other driver help my civil claim in Louisiana?

A citation or guilty plea is admissible evidence in the civil case and tends to support your negligence claim. It does not automatically establish liability or determine your damages, but it makes it harder for the at-fault driver to contest the basic facts of the violation. Courts consider it alongside all other evidence when allocating fault.

If multiple vehicles were involved in a Shreveport intersection crash caused by a signal violation, can I recover from more than one driver?

Yes. Under La. C.C. Art. 2324, Louisiana allows fault to be allocated among multiple at-fault parties. If more than one driver contributed to the crash, each is responsible for their proportionate share. You can bring claims against all responsible parties, and the jury will assign fault percentages at trial.

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Shreveport Failure to Obey Traffic Signals Car Accident Lawyer

Trey Morris and Justin Dewett, Morris & Dewett Partners

There are qualified attorneys throughout Caddo Parish. You are reading this because something happened on the road, and you are trying to understand your options. No one reads lawyer websites until they need one. Our clients came to us after they were injured in crashes caused by drivers who ran red lights or ignored traffic signals. This page explains what we know about these cases, how fault is established, and what the legal process looks like. Read it. Compare us. Your decision.

The Danger of Traffic Signal Violations in Shreveport

Two people are killed each day in the United States because drivers run red lights. In Shreveport, the numbers reflect that national pattern. Between 2016 and 2019, Shreveport reported 103 fatal car accidents, totaling 107 fatalities. For a city with a population under 200,000, that rate is notable.

Drivers who fail to obey traffic signals create risk for everyone sharing the road: other drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians moving through intersections with the legal right of way.

Shreveport Failure to Obey Traffic Signals Lawyers

Most drivers follow traffic signals. Some do not. Drivers who run red lights or ignore traffic controls are acting negligently, and that negligence is legally actionable when it causes an injury.

If another driver disregarded a traffic signal and caused your crash, they may be legally responsible for your injuries, medical costs, lost wages, and other damages. Louisiana law allows injured parties to pursue compensation from at-fault drivers. "Liable" means legally responsible under the law.

Running Red Lights Is a Leading and Preventable Cause of Car Crashes, Injuries, and Death

Around 23% of drivers surveyed admitted to running a red light in the last 30 days. That statistic represents a choice, not an accident. When a driver decides to run a red light and someone gets hurt as a result, the law treats that decision as negligence.

When a negligent driver disregards traffic signals and causes a crash, they may be legally responsible for the injuries and losses the other parties sustain.

Why Do Drivers Fail to Obey Traffic Signals and Run Red Lights

The main reason a driver fails to obey traffic signals is negligence. Several factors can underlie that negligence.

Driver Distraction, Impairment, or Fatigue

Inattention, drowsiness, and intoxication reduce a driver's reaction time and situational awareness. These conditions prevent drivers from seeing and responding to a changing environment. When a drunk, distracted, or fatigued driver approaches an intersection, the risk of running a red light and causing a serious crash increases.

Driver Inexperience

Less experienced drivers are not as practiced at navigating traffic signals. They are more likely to misjudge timing at a yellow light and make a wrong call. That misjudgment can lead to breaking traffic laws and causing a collision.

Road Rage

Aggressive driving is a documented cause of red light violations. An angry driver is often distracted and willing to take risks. Some will intentionally run red lights. That intentional disregard for traffic law does not eliminate civil liability. In some cases it strengthens it.

Missing or Inadequate Signage

In some cases, a traffic sign may be missing or an intersection may lack adequate warning signage. In Shreveport, missing signs can be reported to the Department of Public Works, Traffic Engineering.

Red Light Accident Statistics

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the American Automobile Association (AAA) track intersection accident data. Their research documents the frequency and severity of red light crashes nationally.

The data establishes that these crashes are frequent, largely preventable, and that drivers who cause them bear legal responsibility.

How to Prove That Another Driver Ignored Traffic Signals and Caused a Crash in Shreveport

If you were in a crash because another driver ran a red light or ignored a traffic signal, several forms of evidence can establish their fault:

Witness statements from people who saw the crash
Traffic camera footage, including Louisiana red-light camera footage (consult a map of Louisiana's red-light camera locations to determine if one covered your intersection)
Police report, including any citations issued to the other driver
Photographs of the scene, vehicle damage, and intersection
Data from vehicle event data recorders
Cell phone records showing distraction at the time of the crash

If you are uncertain whether you have sufficient evidence, a lawyer can review what you have and advise you on what else may be recoverable before the relevant evidence disappears.

Your Legal Options

There is no cost to speak with a car accident attorney about your potential case. The sooner you act, the better positioned you are to preserve evidence and protect your legal rights. Louisiana's prescriptive period for personal injury claims is generally one year from the date of the accident. Missing that deadline typically ends the case.

Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers handles car accident cases involving traffic signal violations in Shreveport and the surrounding areas of northwest Louisiana. An attorney can explain your rights, assess the strength of your claim, and tell you what the process looks like before you make any decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are questions people often ask about this type of claim in Shreveport. The answers reflect Louisiana law and are general information, not legal advice for your specific situation.

What do I need to prove if another driver ran a red light and hit me in Shreveport?: You need to show the other driver was required to stop at the signal, failed to do so, and that failure caused your injuries. Traffic camera footage, dashcam video, eyewitness accounts, and the police report are the most direct evidence. Skid marks and vehicle damage patterns can also help an accident reconstruction expert place each vehicle's position at the moment of impact.
The other driver claims I ran the light. How does Louisiana handle a disputed traffic-signal case?: Under La. C.C. Art. 2323, Louisiana follows modified comparative fault. A jury reviews the evidence and assigns a fault percentage to each party; if your share is less than 51 percent your compensation is reduced accordingly, but at 51 percent or more you cannot recover. Securing traffic camera footage quickly is critical, because cities often overwrite recordings within days.
Can I sue Shreveport or the traffic signal contractor if a malfunctioning signal caused my accident?: If the signal was malfunctioning because of a maintenance failure, the government entity responsible for that signal is a potential defendant. Private contractors who maintain or installed the signal can also be named under La. C.C. Art. 2324 if their work contributed to the failure. You will need maintenance logs and work orders to establish that the malfunction was known or foreseeable.
What is the deadline to file a lawsuit after a red-light or stop-sign accident in Louisiana?: For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, you have two years from the date of the accident under La. C.C. Art. 3493.1. For injuries before that date, the prior one-year prescriptive period under La. C.C. Art. 3492 applies. If your claim involves a government defendant, a separate notice-of-claim requirement may apply with a shorter deadline.
Does a traffic citation or guilty plea by the other driver help my civil claim in Louisiana?: A citation or guilty plea is admissible evidence in the civil case and tends to support your negligence claim. It does not automatically establish liability or determine your damages, but it makes it harder for the at-fault driver to contest the basic facts of the violation. Courts consider it alongside all other evidence when allocating fault.
If multiple vehicles were involved in a Shreveport intersection crash caused by a signal violation, can I recover from more than one driver?: Yes. Under La. C.C. Art. 2324, Louisiana allows fault to be allocated among multiple at-fault parties. If more than one driver contributed to the crash, each is responsible for their proportionate share. You can bring claims against all responsible parties, and the jury will assign fault percentages at trial.